Heavens Graveyard
by Rai Novak
Summary: Dean and Castiel work a normal case in an abnormal town called Night Vale. They find a couple that reminds them that they in fact do have a profound bond, and that they need to use that to survive this deadly town.
1. Heaven's Graveyard

"Ok Cas, this is a small job, so we should be ok, but remember what I told you about lying. Actually, just let me do the talking. Okay?" Dean's eyes held his friends for a second before shifting to the road once more. "Okay." Cas' face softened as he looked out the window. No matter how much death he saw, no matter how much death he caused, his heart still twitched at road kill. This one was strange, as it was three armadillos on the side of the road. "Dean, those animals are dead." An exasperated sigh came from the driver. "Yes Cas, things die." Dean did notice that as they got further into town, the number of dead animals increased exponentially. Mighty evergreens came into view, a mountain, a canyon, a pyramid, so close together you wouldn't think it possible. Yet right there, in front of them on this abandoned road littered with small animal corpses, they stood.

"One hawk eyed listener reports that there are two new strangers in town.  
They drive a 1960's Chevy impala, and one of them has green eyes and a leather jacket, and the other one has blue eyes and a tan jacket. This is not to be confused with The Man in the Tan Jacket, who's face is unknowable." Cecil absentmindedly touched his blonde hair as he spoke. "The angels assured Old Woman Josie that these strangers are to be trusted, as one is their brother, and the other their brother-in-law. The City Council issued a statement, 'Angels are the ones not to be trusted. Angels aren't real? What are angels? You silly child, go back to bed. It's late. Too late. It's too late.' They then hummed in unison, and collapsed." His phone buzzed in his pocket, drawing a smile to his face. "Now, I normally don't talk too much about my personal life here, but Carlos told me something about his childhood yesterday. The reason he can live here, and not leave the town, screaming in agony at the realization that their mental constructs of reality are, as all of ours are, false, is because he had a teacher who would take him on these crazy field trips. Well, I think that one of these visitors may just be that teacher coming to visit him! Wouldn't that be such a nice surprise. Oh! A letter was just handed to me by an arm that may be attached to a body that I can not see, or perhaps it may just be a lonely arm, going throughout life feeling incomplete, just like the rest of us..."

"...that one of these visitors may just be that teacher coming to visit him! Wouldn't that be..." Dean rolled his eyes and flicked the radio. "Can you believe it?"  
"Dean"  
"He thinks I'm a teacher? What kind of radio host is this guy anyway?"  
"Dean!"  
The car whipped over to the side of the road, sending a tin of mints flying out the passenger side window. Dean was still upset over the insult the bodiless voice of his car radio had inflicted on his pride.

"Dean, listen to me. My brothers are here. Gabriel, Samandriel..." Dean finally turned his head. "Wait, aren't they dead?" Cas looked out the window, not out into the distance, but as if there was something right there, invisible to all but him. "No, well, yes. They are dead, but returning to heaven would not make sense. They have to go somewhere. They go...here. This place is heavens graveyard, if you will. There is a force more powerful than my brothers here. The same sort of power I felt when I first pulled you out of hell, is here. "

The car was silent for a moment before Dean spoke. "Well, let's see what it is."


	2. Lights Above The Arby's

"And now, the weather."  
Cecil sat back in his leather chair and lifted his feet onto the desk. He was grateful, every day. Grateful for his job, his Carlos, that his life had continued to this point so that he may enjoy and be thankful for everything. His phone buzzed quietly on the desk, lingering for a second in the still silence of the rest of the room before buzzing again for emphasis. Cecil's sharp teeth revealed themselves in a toothy grin as he picked up the phone  
"Hello?" Cecil said, like he doesn't have caller id.  
"Hello Cecil. I'm calling for personal reasons. Those strangers pulled up at our apartment. They say they are FBI. What should I do? Can I run scientific tests on them?" From the background came a muffled shout protesting the tests the scientist implied he would run.  
"Carlos, I'll, uh, I'll be over as soon as this show is done. I'll wrap it up quickly, just be careful. Call the sheriffs secret police if they aren't already on their way. I have to go, the weather is almost over. I love you."  
Silence, this time tense, hung over the studio and the apartment. They were both concerned. They knew staying in this town was a risk, but they both wanted to stay, and that decision twisted in their hearts and stomachs.  
"I love you too Cecil. These people seem pretty... Neat." A short giggle came from the scientist before he hung up on his blushing boyfriend.

* * *

"So, uh, agent Wilson, agent Parker, do you need something to drink? We have milk, water, disappointment, though that one is a bit too bitter for most people."  
Dean shifted uneasily in his chair. He had worked some strange cases, but this place was a literal nightmare. Cas seemed overwhelmed by this whole town, as if there were colors and shapes and visions only visible to him swirling around in every nook, every crevice. Dean noticed the curve of his face and the way his eyes shone when he was looking at that spot between what humans can see and what can only be seen by angels. The way he looked was so innocent, so wise, so beautiful... He was interrupted, gladly, by their host returning with two glasses of water.  
"So, Mr. Carlos... Is that your whole name?"  
"Scientifically speaking, yes." He sat down in his chair facing them, sipping a cup of disappointment. His face fell ever so slightly. "My boyfriend should be back soon, and he'll be able to answer your questions better. I've only been here for about two years, speaking approximately, and one year and eight months if you are speaking specifically. When I fist came here, I didn't understand that the clock tower was invisible and always moving, I didn't understand the hooded figures, or the lights above the Arby's. Now I do, and I think you two need to do that as well. You need to understand the lights above the Arby's. Er... Scientifically and stuff, I mean. What brought you guys here?" The guests exchanged glances before Dean spoke.  
"Well, my brother was listening to this radio show online about this crazy town, and we found out it was all real. It's our job to..." Deans hands went in a broad circle, "find weird things and make sure they don't kill people. This town seems a lot more dangerous than most of our other small jobs." Cas shifted his body ever so slightly toward his companion, closing the distance in between their hands. This did not escape Carlos, who smiled broadly.

"I think it's time you met Cecil


	3. It's Everything And Nothing, You See

Carlos had left to go fetch Cecil a few minutes ago, leaving the two friends alone. For one party, it was quite a lot more uncomfortable, due to the fact that Carlos had whispered to Cas, "Go and get him, just not on our bed." After the ordeal at the brothel, he understood that innuendo. He had returned, blushing, and hadn't moved since.  
"What's the word, Cas?" Dean could see the muscles tense under the crisp black suit.  
"It's a shortened version of my name." His reply was rushed, harsh even. Dean makes a living on reading people, and Cas was new to the delicate art of lying. A gentle hand fell on to Castiel's shoulders, loosening them slowly as he turned to face Dean. His face was gentle, the way he looks at Sam when he is sleeping, the way he looks at the picture of his mother. His expression was one of love, and they just stared. They looked at each other, seeing them not for the physical features but remembering that they each gave so much for the other.  
"Cas? Are you ok buddy?" For a second, Cas couldn't give any answer. He knew that if he lied, Dean would see right through him, but if he told the truth he would be pushed away. After all they had lost, they were worried that if they let themselves love that they would fall further down into sorrow. He had to risk it, he had to try.

"Dean, I don't know what I'm feeling. I feel connected to people in ways I didn't before. I think what I'm feeling is love. Dean, I-" he was cut short by the door opening.  
"Oh, were we interrupting you?" Dean realized that he was sitting knee to knee with Cas, had his hand on his shoulder, and was staring into his eyes.  
"Oh, no, no, not at all. It's not like that. We just work together. I'm Agent Wilson and this is Agent Parker." Dean stepped forward to greet Cecil and ask him a few questions about the town, leaving Cas sitting alone on the couch.

Cas felt like he just had a refreshingly cool glass of fresh disappointment.

"So let me get this straight. The sheriffs secret police listens in on all of your calls, murdering is encouraged, and the head of the school board is a cloud?" Dean eyed his hosts with cautious suspicion. Cecil honestly didn't seem to understand what was wrong here, but his partner did. He seemed to be used to it, strangely. With all the strange creatures he grew up fighting, he still couldn't ever get used to this town. On the way here, he saw a five headed dragon sitting calmly in a diner, not to mention the bees.

There were so many bees.

"A glow cloud, specifically. Most clouds pass through the void unknowing and unwitting, like the rest of us, but this is a cloud of awesome size and power. All hail." Dean made a mental note to get out of here as soon as they could. Everyone here was insane, homicidal, or some strange creature he had never seen before. It wasn't safe for him, and more importantly it wasn't safe for Cas.

"So, why don't you tell me why you are really here, Angel. No, not you, Carlos. I meant the literal angel." Cas turned to Cecil staring him straight in his purple eyes. There was no way for him to know unless someone told him, and he had a pretty good idea of who that would be.

"Dean I know wh-" he was cut off by his friend standing up sharply. Battle mode was engaged, and there wasn't much Cas could do to persuade Dean at this point.  
"How do you know about Cas? I heard you on the radio earlier talking about us. You were the one who called me a teacher, weren't you? I-"  
"Dean calm dow-"  
"Scientifically speaking, yes that was him, do you have a problem?"  
"You carry a gun, what was I supposed to think? All teachers have guns."  
"What kind of a crazy ass school lets teachers have guns?"  
"Dean, Gabriel is here."

There was a brief pause in the chaotic banter, leaving silence hanging over the room like a shadow. Like all things, it was impermanent, and broken by sound arriving once more to the room, the sound of flapping wings and a chocolate bar being unwrapped.

"Hey little bro," the angel greeted as he leaned against the brownstone wall, "Did ya miss me?"


	4. It Carries On So Blissfully

Cas turned to a startled Dean, who had instinctively drawn his gun, which was not a wise move on any level. Cecil had stepped in front of Carlos protectively, and was now glowing with rage, almost literally. The room was silent, tense, nervous. Cas stepped in front of Dean, forcing the gun to point at their feet at the same time Carlos spun Cecil around to look at him, worried ones meeting furious ones for a fleeting moment before they held each other in their arms. "Sorry to interrupt this orgy here but I need to borrow the 'Agents' for a moment. Mothership wants to beam you nerds up." Something wasn't right, but Cas couldn't quite see the details. Whenever this happened, this feeling, it ended in someone getting hurt, and he couldn't let it be Dean. After how protective Cecil is of Carlos, if something were to threaten them then Dean would have someone at his side to fight with him as long as they stayed close. The presence of all of the angels drummed at Castiel's skin, poking him, prodding him in their direction. This was going to be a trap, so he had to go alone, but would Dean be safe with these strangers? He had to think this through carefully for one simple reason; if Dean died, he couldn't bring him back this time. One push, one step, one turn back to look at his friend and he was gone. Dean stared, stunned. All of a sudden Cas had pushed Dean back and ran toward the dick and poof. Why would he just leave like that? Why would he push him back? Why did he turn back and look at him straight in the eyes with those big sapphire sparkling eyes that would be the kind he wants to look up at him innocently while his mouth is wrapped... Sam must never know he even thought that. Carlos was perplexed. Not that there was a teleporting angel who had invaded his home not a few seconds ago but the identity of said angel. Gabriel often stopped by the lab not due to scientific curiosity but because one of the other scientists would sell him explosives and other dangerous materials with a little charm. Carlos knew Gabriel could exploit he's talent much more than that, and now that he realized the power that he held he was worried. What he saw in Castiel reminded him of himself before the incident at Lane 5. It was so obvious that Dean cared, but Castiel was afraid that if he accepted his love it wouldn't be what Dean needed. Every day since he came to Night Vale he listened to Cecil's show, heard him gush and it hurt because he knew he wouldn't be what Cecil said he was. Every day he drowned himself in his work, didn't allow himself to feel, was businesslike when speaking to the voice that stole his heart. In the bowling alley, he realized that he already got his second chance by starting over here and that he wasn't going to get another. He realized that he couldn't tell Cecil that he loved him, and that Cecil didn't just find him attractive but genuinely loved him. When he lay there on the cold stiff floor, reeling from the attack and the cold stiff body of his rescuer being carried away, a body that should have been his instead, he heard the voice of Cecil, the beautiful, angelic voice that cracked with sorrow, so much that he couldn't continue. That beautiful angelic person cracked with sorrow not because he did something but that he almost didn't do anything. By not being there, he almost broke Cecil, and that would break himself as well. He patched himself up and went, and that was the best decision he has made. Scientifically of course. Obviously. Castiel found himself in front of a house, standing alone, with a sign out front reading "Old Woman Josie's Home For Angels." The house was old, perhaps some would say a bit worse for wear. While the yard was cleanly cut and the desert flowers watered, the paint was beginning to chip and peel, the windows gathering a murky filter for the light coming from inside. It was small, but it was home for so many, and even more than that, it was a second chance. Warily, he knocked on the burgundy door and immediately he saw a young boy in a wiener hut uniform. "Welcome home, Castiel." A small group gathered around the couch stiffly, both to give and receive stories and apologies. Most had realized that they had strayed from their true purpose after months of Old Woman Josie helping them along. She was both kind and strict, making them work if they complained or giving them treats if they volunteered. She tried to make them more human, and they had come so far. They needed order, she gave it to them. They wanted freedom and she let them choose their path, and they were at peace. Even though she had helped them, Cas couldn't quite look Alfie in the eyes, not after what Naomi had forced him to do to him, not after what had happened just before. The ones he had slaughtered when he was God were here, the ones he had killed in battle and this was paradise. For their guest, it was the opposite. Guilt and pain were all he felt, not the acceptance and forgiveness they were providing. Old Woman Josie stepped through the crowd of Angels who parted instinctively in her presence and she set a heaping plate of cookies down in front of Cas. She left to go hit a sulking Uriel over the head with the hot cookie sheet, and Gabe seized the plate and began to devour his prey mercilessly. Suited shoulders stiffened to align with the rest of his body, rigid and shocked. Castiel was under the impression that the older the humans got, the softer in nature they became, but this human... No, not quite human. No one, save for the kind scientist had been human. They were all so much more, eternal and dangerous. He had to warn Dean, they had to get out of this wretched place. As he rose, his panicked siblings did, making a circle and saying, speaking, chanting in a tone that can neither exist in paper or memory nor in any other form. Only a whir of machines in the distance and a radiant glow streaming in from everywhere and nowhere remained. He couldn't go, the machines growing louder and the light glowing stronger. He had to try to warn them, even if his efforts turned out to be futile, because he left Dean alone. Dean was going to die and it was his fault. Cecil picked up the phone. "Hello?" He said, like he doesn't even have caller ID. His heart fell, his heart did a number of acrobatic stunts. Literally, it began to beat hard. Eyes wide, he thanked the man on the other end before slamming the phone down. Stiff with fear, he rushed to the new friends on the couch. His flushed face caught their attention immediately, bringing them to their feet, eyes wide with concern. "Street cleaning day has been rescheduled to today." 


	5. We're Making It Up As We Go

"Carlos, Dean, get in the basement. I'll secure the doors and windows" Cecil's face was pale with terror as he rushed to get the hammer. Of all the things Dean had seen in this town, the charred corpse on main street, the guilty looking five headed dragon a few feet away, and a severed hand crawling away to name a few, if this thing scared them while the rest is normality, he should listen.

"But Cas is still out there!" Cecil turned, angry, but Carlos looked sympathetic, in the way you would look at a kid who's puppy just died. Cas wasn't dead, he couldn't be. He couldn't fly away, but he could take care of himself. The couple looked like this thing coming was powerful and absolute, that it would leave no survivors. If Cas died again, and Dean could have saved him, he would never forgive himself. He wouldn't let anyone get in his way, he was going to see his friend again.

Without a moment of hesitation, he dashed for the door, grabbing his coat off the rack as he went. Carlos lunged for his shoulders, trying to get him to stop, trying to get him to think about what he was doing.

"You'll die out there, Dean!"

I know.

"Ms. Josie? Do you have a phone I can use? Mine does not work here." Gabriel laughed, as if the answer was obvious. "Cas, do you really think that phones would work in places that our powers can't? The city council only lets a few citizens have a phone. We can't contact people here. Why, were you going to call your boyfriend?" Josie walked in and smacked Gabriel on the back of the head. "Boy, stop running your mouth. I do have a very old phone, but it only calls the city council. I don't think you want to do that." She held out the bowl in her hand. "Cookie?" Did she bake another batch in that amount of time? Why was he thinking about this? "No thank you. I will use your phone, if that is alright." He couldn't contact Dean directly, but he could make sure Dean heard the message.

Cecil stood stunned staring at the doorway. Dean just threw his life away so carelessly like that, and for what? What would he actually gain from this? Seeing someone for a second before they both died? Seeing someone you love die and not being able to help is more pain than anyone should have to go through. What if when Carlos was in the bowling alley he… His ears are ringing just thinking about it.

No, that was the phone. Oh Strex, it's the city council. "Hello?" Carlos walked over from the door to join him. "Ah, I see. I'll do that right away. Who requested this? Sorry. Thank you." He turned to Carlos, grinning. "Carlos, get my spare microphone. We are going to save Dean Winchester."

As he ran down the street, Dean was confused. He saw children abandon what he thought were toys as their parents pulled them inside. There were some machines in the distance that he thought were the street cleaners, but he wasn't sure. They didn't look all that bad, they looked like regular street cleaners but… They had teeth, so that's new. So, running it is.

Cas pushed past his brothers to the old radio in the corner, ignoring the strange looks. The sound of a campfire crackled to life, dislodging some dust that had settled. He supposed it would take a while to set up the equipment in their house. Cecil and Carlos had both been so kind to him, and he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if his plan ended up hurting them.

"If you love something, let it go. If it crawls back into your ear and feeds on you while you are sleeping, it's with you forever. Welcome to Night Vale." A broad smile crept on to Castiel's face. He got the message, and Dean would be able to hear what he had to say.

"To start with, I would like to apologize for interrupting your previous broadcast. This is an emergency message from the City Council. Street Cleaning Day has come. Please run, leave your children behind, or just die to avoid the pain that is to come. Do not go outside. Citizens, please, stay indoors. Dean, please come back inside. Castiel wants you to be safe. He says that he can't lose you again."

Dean wandered the empty streets, looking for his friend. He thought he saw someone outside, but when he got there, all he saw was a car with it's radio still on. "Dean, please come back inside." Startled, he turned around, expecting to see Cecil before realizing that it was the radio. Why was he so afraid? The street cleaners didn't scare him. There was something else. Was it Cas? "Castiel wants Dean to know that if he doesn't see him again, to know that he is sorry." Dean kicked the car door and ran. He didn't look back, he would never look back again. He had to save Cas, and that's all that matters.

"He also said that he loved him."


End file.
